I reported on the public safety and health beat for the Columbia Missourian from Aug. 2012 to Dec. 2012. I also took on general-assignment stories. The following are a few examples, and Missourian members can view all of my work on the Missourian's website.
Caffeine beneficial for some students, but excess consumption is problematic
This story explores the use of caffeine among Columbia's college students. I put together and conducted a 200-person survey for this story, then analyzed the data to find trends in their choices of products, reasons for consuming caffeine and their habits related to their caffeine use. I then tied in relevant research and interviews to address health concerns and questions.
Quail Drive residents live cautiously, want greater police presence
I realized one day after writing a brief on a Quail Drive shooting that we were getting a lot of crime reports from Quail Drive. After doing some research, I found that the area is one of the most dangerous places in Columbia, and residents on Quail Drive had asked for more police in the area several years earlier. With another reporter, I interviewed people on Quail Drive who were willing to speak to about police presence and the general safety of Quail Drive.
Heart of America Marathon draws runners from across the continent
Rather than doing a simple event coverage story with statistics of the runners, I gathered as many sources as I could for this story. I found that the goal for many people who run marathons is not to win, but just finish. I chose to feature one of the people who finished outside the race's time limit in my lede to highlight this determination. I then included as many individual runners' experiences as I could to make the story more personal, and the article ended up getting a lot of attention among veteran marathon runners because of people who shared it.
Show-Me Balloon Club members share a unique passion
I worked with a partner to turn what would have been a text feature on the Show-Me Balloon Club into a multimedia piece, complete with audio and visuals. We conducted a 30-minute interview with one of the club's leaders and followed members around during one of their events, taking pictures and capturing footage before, during and after their flights. The text story is linked in the headline, and the finished audio/video slideshow is embedded below.
Caffeine beneficial for some students, but excess consumption is problematic
This story explores the use of caffeine among Columbia's college students. I put together and conducted a 200-person survey for this story, then analyzed the data to find trends in their choices of products, reasons for consuming caffeine and their habits related to their caffeine use. I then tied in relevant research and interviews to address health concerns and questions.
Quail Drive residents live cautiously, want greater police presence
I realized one day after writing a brief on a Quail Drive shooting that we were getting a lot of crime reports from Quail Drive. After doing some research, I found that the area is one of the most dangerous places in Columbia, and residents on Quail Drive had asked for more police in the area several years earlier. With another reporter, I interviewed people on Quail Drive who were willing to speak to about police presence and the general safety of Quail Drive.
Heart of America Marathon draws runners from across the continent
Rather than doing a simple event coverage story with statistics of the runners, I gathered as many sources as I could for this story. I found that the goal for many people who run marathons is not to win, but just finish. I chose to feature one of the people who finished outside the race's time limit in my lede to highlight this determination. I then included as many individual runners' experiences as I could to make the story more personal, and the article ended up getting a lot of attention among veteran marathon runners because of people who shared it.
Show-Me Balloon Club members share a unique passion
I worked with a partner to turn what would have been a text feature on the Show-Me Balloon Club into a multimedia piece, complete with audio and visuals. We conducted a 30-minute interview with one of the club's leaders and followed members around during one of their events, taking pictures and capturing footage before, during and after their flights. The text story is linked in the headline, and the finished audio/video slideshow is embedded below.
